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Article
Gender Inequality in Deliberative Participation
American Political Science Review
  • Christopher F. Karpowitz, Brigham Young University - Utah
  • Tali Mendelberg, Princeton University
  • Lee Shaker, Portland State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2012
Subjects
  • Equality,
  • Decision making -- Quantitative studies,
  • Sex discrimination,
  • Political participation -- Sex differences
Abstract

Can men and women have equal levels of voice and authority in deliberation or does deliberation exacerbate gender inequality? Does increasing women's descriptive representation in deliberation increase their voice and authority? We answer these questions and move beyond the debate by hypothesizing that the group's gender composition interacts with its decision rule to exacerbate or erase the inequalities. We test this hypothesis and various alternatives, using experimental data with many groups and links between individuals' attitudes and speech. We find a substantial gender gap in voice and authority, but as hypothesized, it disappears under unanimous rule and few women, or under majority rule and many women. Deliberative design can avoid inequality by fitting institutional procedure to the social context of the situation.

Rights

Copyright © American Political Science Association 2012

Description

This is the publisher's final PDF. Article appears in American Political Science Review.

DOI
10.1017/S0003055412000329
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10042
Citation Information
Karpowitz, C. F., Mendelberg, T., & Shaker, L. (2012). Gender Inequality in Deliberative Participation. American Political Science Review, 106(3), 533-547.